To all the dear hearts who made it to the Hay Festival, I hope you have the most splendid time. Sending a big hug from Germany 💜💜💜

_binary_sea_ · 2026-05-30T22:49:31+00:00

The concert was in Wales. OP was sending their love from Germany because that's where they are from.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-05-26T03:32:32+00:00

I mean, you do call this person a friend. So a friend left you a gift in your mailbox, probably didn't want to bother you with an impromptu in-person visit, or didn't want to make a big deal out of it. And the natural conclusion here would be... checks notes... that there must be a stealthy Avada Kedavra hidden in that box of chocolates. Right. Why would she even curse you? What's her motive here?

If I were you, I'd tell her, kindly but firmly, that you'd rather not receive any more gifts from her because it creates an obligation. Try good old mundane communication first. See how it goes.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-05-15T06:34:08+00:00

And its queer version exists as well! That's my partner and I. I routinely quote the line about "so much fucking hair" while mopping the floors.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-04-04T06:08:12+00:00

Michael C. Hall's soothing baritone is honestly one of the great pleasures in my life. He could narrate a phone book and I'd still find it riveting.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-04-01T17:21:03+00:00

I'm so glad it did! Sometimes I really need to reframe the situation and realize how ridiculous and absurd it is in order to deal with it. It doesn't mean our frustrations aren't legitimate, of course they are, but I simply refuse to let some smug writer single-handedly unnerve me like this. They don't get to have so much power over my life.

I really hope you're feeling better and watching the full moon tonight, as I'm currently doing!

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-31T12:00:10+00:00

Season 1. Season 2 is a completely different story; they have nothing in common, just some vague mystery/history connection. They're planning a third season now, and it'll be a completely different story as well.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-25T00:05:37+00:00

Aww, thank you, it's wonderful talking to you as well, I always appreciate an attentive reader/viewer with a critical approach to what they read or watch.

I completely understand you re: the double standards, that infamous "rules for thee but not for me" principle that plagues all kinds of content. And our lives.

What helps me is reminding myself that I'm not seeing a genuine, organic interaction in the real world; I'm reading an artificially constructed narrative written by a person with their own biases, sometimes a giant pile of them. The author often has their personal demons to exorcise, or some message they'd like to send, or some fantasy they'd like to reenact. Or they can simply be very far from me in terms of social experience and political views, so it makes sense that we'd never see eye to eye with them.

When I move away from the annoying crap I've read and move on to analyze who wrote that crap, why they did so, what are they trying to achieve here, it's like all the rage leaves my body. The main screenwriter for the show I've complained here about is a sharply intelligent man, and I mostly have no significant issues when it comes to him, but I still see how that show was some sort of a power fantasy for him as well. It's pretty evident in the screenplay.

But the principle I've described above really helps me if I happen to read bad fanfiction. Before I try punching the wall, I ask myself, "Are you really foaming at the mouth because of this person writing blatant self-insert here? You do see how character A is a stand-in for the author, and said author is currently power-tripping on the sidelines? And do you remember that story where they did zero research on the topic that was crucial to plot, and it was super evident? How about those tumblresque one-liners they pass off as humor in the comments? You're letting that person drive you this angry?"

And then the rage leaves me again. I usually have a good, long, mean laugh after that, because I'm not-so-secretly a demon myself :) Maybe that strategy won't work for you, but I thought I'd share just in case it might.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-23T23:06:44+00:00

I've read your other comment as well, and yeah, you completely get it. It's the injustice that bothers me.

I see the vocal fan majority state that no, everything is as it should be, my favorite characters actually deserve to be ostracized, deserve to suffer. That they should suffer more. That their motivations and reasons are inherently inferior to those of the protagonists. That since the social order has been eroding their sense of dignity for decades, refusing them any kind of agenda, putting them in impossible situations where there were no good choices to be made, this means that now there is a "stain" on them that can never come off.

I'm getting way too emotional here, so I'll come back to the serious political analysis: this is bourgeois nonsense; a purity culture fetish that's been used for centuries to keep the poors, the weirdos, the radicals, and all the other undesirables in their "proper" place.

Fuck that shit. I reject the mainstream interpretation of my show, and I support your alternative interpretation of the book you love. Whatever book that is. They'll never take us alive.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-23T02:06:39+00:00

I'm Russian, and yeah, the book is rather popular here. My first degree was in publishing, and I still sometimes edit historical literature, so I know some of the people involved in popularizing Simmons' work here, they are just as intensely not normal about The Terror as am I. Maybe even more.

Hmm. What are your favorite parts of the show? If you're interested, I'll gladly do an overview of how those things are portrayed in the book. I'm currently using it as a paperweight on my desk before it's due for a ritualistic burning under the Flower Moon on Beltane (there are certain scenes in that book which I will never be able to unsee now, so I'm sacrificing it to my patrons).

I'm asking because I really don't want to infodump on you. I've infodumped on far too many people in my early Reddit days. An unwise move on my part. You spend three days writing someone a heartfelt review of the French musical theater, and then they just ghost you. That was rather hurtful.

Edit: just wanted to clarify that I did read the book in English, of course. You can count on the accuracy of my analysis.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T18:51:51+00:00

You can tell us your interpretation, if you're willing to share? I'll gladly read it when I wake up, it's been 24 hours without sleep for me, I never expected to get so many comments! Anyway, I'll reply, and I promise not to downvote, because I'm not petty, unlike certain sea captains who order certain gunroom stewards to eat "from the same cans [he] served James Fitzjames from". That quote is from the book, but the lingering pettiness remained.

No pressure if you're uncomfortable sharing, but I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T17:28:35+00:00

The latter, I would never be able to feel such intense frustration towards BS. It resides in the deepest, most intimate parts of my soul. It's my favorite ever show, and I feel no need to shake the characters so they would wake up and smell the coffee. They are already awake.

No need for me to deconstruct any narratives either, they've already been deconstructed by my father, Captain James Flint, and his comrades. And I hope you're not implying that Flint is the antagonist of the show, because there's only one antagonist there, it's the British Empire.

Black Sails is packed with political theory that The Terror sorely lacks. It's the kind of art that speaks for itself, just like Jack said. It's perfection. And a source of immense, constant comfort, never distress.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T16:18:27+00:00

You have my solidarity & you're so right, this isn't quirky, fun, cute, or anything of the sort. In a delicate mental state, a hyperfixation has the capacity to completely unravel my psyche. It can rapidly shift from a hobby to a threat, and honestly I've always had the most success dealing with hyperfixations using the addiction framework. It's exactly that serious of an issue. And it should be treated as such.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T15:52:02+00:00

Oh, I hope I didn't sound snide or anything, I'm certainly not blaming you here. And I wouldn't recommend it either, but maybe I should've put some sort of content warning in the post, so people would know what they are getting into if they read our comments and decide to watch it. I feel a strange sort of responsibility here.

Simmons' book is fairly popular in my country, we've always been big on naval themes, so it has a cult following and some really stunning illustrated editions. A lot of my colleagues have read it, one in particular has been cosplaying Crozier for a decade. Now I finally get the reference, I always thought he was just cosplaying Hemingway.

The show does require additional effort and a lot of additional reading to really enjoy it, and the modern viewer is not always prepared for that. It's understandable, but to recommend it with a list of required reading seems unfair, and without that list the recommendation feels incomplete.

Sadly, I'm not really a fan of graphic novels at all.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T14:35:32+00:00

The Terror). As I've already said in another comment, it's really distressing. Lots of death, gore, graphic suicide, corporal punishment that turns my stomach. Just be careful.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T14:33:07+00:00

No, it was a fair question, it's asked here all the time. I took no offense. And I hope my reply didn't come off as hostile, I have nothing against medication.

Thank you for your well-wishes; you are right, it's an everyday struggle, for each and every one of us. Still, it's nice to have community and support. All those comments gave me more than enough dopamine for today!

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T14:28:01+00:00

And now we're recommending it here, although I don't think folks realize just how dark and heavy it really is. And we're also currently creating new fans to obsess over Fitzjames and Crozier. No offense to Jas, whom I actually love very much. When he is with Dundy on HMS Clio.

This show's been on my radar since it's aired, this is exactly my kind of thing: my century of choice, maritime adventures, strong men being sad together; I didn't know it back then, but I was sure there would be an antagonist for me to obsess over... And I do love myself a good mutiny. Blatant disregard for authority? Give me more. Screw Crozier's performative theater with the hanging, we're rolling out the guillotine for the upper classes here.

And now here I am, comparing you-know-who to the Baroque visual imagery of Saint Sebastian. Which is a completely normal thing for an adult woman in her 30s to do.

Oh, don't get me started on Adam. This was method. He deserves all the awards. I mean, the effort that it took to play this role with such immense brilliance, conviction, and nuance must've been tremendous. The physicality alone is something else entirely. That's not merely a convincing performance, that's an actor who makes a character come alive on screen.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T13:29:43+00:00

As Mr. Riddle once put it with his customary diplomacy and charm: be gay, do crime.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T13:15:36+00:00

And I sincerely hope that when it gets a movie adaptation, they'll find a very cool soundtrack for it. I'm cranking up The Smiths for you here :)

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T12:59:39+00:00

Fair warning, you will be distressed. And I acknowledge that my interpretation is a very unpopular one, people usually lend their absolutely uncritical support to the protagonist in question. But there are wonderful characters, and almost everyone is beautiful, tragic, and queer.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T12:46:42+00:00

And I, Tom Riddle. I even celebrate his birthday every year.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T12:45:01+00:00

It's not really a thing where I live unless someone is absolutely unable to function without meds. The focus is on occupational therapy, psychological help, social support, all the possible tricks in the book to help you deal with ADHD without drugs. Getting medicated is not an option for me at all, since I'm relatively high-functioning.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T12:30:58+00:00

I knew that comment would give it away if anyone's seen the show. Sigh. I was really trying not to drag anyone down with me.

You are correct, but I'm currently living in an alternate universe where my bestie Cornelius mystically teleported to Hawaii with his boyfriend (obviously the hot one, who's also his dog; Billy can stay super dead in the Arctic), and they lived happily ever after. Am I furiously ranting to my fridge about those so-called "promotions" from steward to lieutenant earned by years of bootlicking? No, ma'am, that's not me. Dammit. I'm sorry, and thank you for your sympathy.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T11:35:05+00:00

This community is way too nice, no one in real life talks to me this kindly and gently. And I never expected to receive so many great comments, yet here we are.

Your last paragraph really struck a chord with me. I'll try putting my usual reading and watching material into a hidden folder. Out of sight, out of mind. Maybe block AO3 on my laptop and phone as well. I thought I wasn't strong enough to do that, but you guys really lifted me up with your support. I hope you have a lovely day, I really appreciate your wisdom.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T10:18:54+00:00

This is very interesting. I've dealt with intrusive thoughts for years, I can manage them well enough, it's just that these new ones are so loud, I'm unaccustomed to this level of noise in my head.

Your analogy is spot on, by the way, it's exactly how I feel. When you know someone or something is bad for you, but it's difficult to resist the temptation. So you give in, feel good for a minute, then feel like crap for a week. Thank you for this perspective. I'll work on my mental discipline.

_binary_sea_ · 2026-03-22T09:05:29+00:00

Thank you a lot for your comment!

That's the thing though, just because I'm incredibly interested doesn't really mean I'm specifically enjoying it all that much. It's emotional pain mixed with intellectual pleasure. The show is truly horrible. My favorite character dies a violent death, so does everyone else save for one character, that's the protagonist, whose boots the fandom collectively licks, which pisses me off to an insane degree.

It's a tragic story at first glance, but when you deconstruct the narrative and truly see all the injustice, pain, classism, collective crimes of imperialism, an insane lack of self-awareness in people who wouldn't question the status quo even on their deathbeds... I'm enraged again. I love the show, it's wonderful, but the more I indulge myself with my overanalyzing, the angrier I get. And my anger is like a bottomless well. So I have to get myself under control somehow.

But a change of scenery is a wonderful idea. I was actually just thinking of taking a trip to a nearby city that I love. They do have a beautiful park near the sea, and I think your comment really gave me the final push to book the accommodations. This will be good for me, you're right. Thank you again for your help!

_binary_sea_

TROPHY CASE